Simmer
by geea2
Summary: AU: it took Dom and Letty a long time to figure out that the people they needed most was one another.
1. 6 months, 3 weeks, 3 days

**This fic is my version of Queen-Deb24's fanfiction (which you can find on this site!) "Whose Bed You Sleeping In". Queen-Deb24 was gracious enough to allow me to publish this fic although the premise is the same as her original story. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of spinning off of your unique and inspiring story Queen-Deb24, I hope I don't let you down!**

Six months, three weeks, and three days after Dominic Toretto walked out of Lompoc a free man he screwed in the old "Toretto's" sign over the garage door. His father's garage, closed since his death, was finally being reopened. Dom wasn't a man for deep emotional reflections. Four years in a state prison did that to a man. It either squeezes out all of the boy in you and you become a man, or you don't, that simple. However, as he got off of the ladder and stared at his father's sign in the breaking dawn he knew that this was right. Dom did not doubt his intuition. In his world there was right and wrong, black and white. He had a moral code instilled by the best of teachers, his father.

He had returned home with a duffle bag full of letters and the possessions of a naïve twenty-year-old. He had walked out a free man and had felt that familiar intuition telling him to go home and make things right for his family. A real man provided and protected his family. Dom had come home to find Vince racing to keep the bills paid and Mia in school. For that alone Dom would never forsake his oldest friend. They did occasionally flip at each other and when it happened it was not a small slap boxing competition. But they were loyal to their unit and respected one another.

Mia, his little baby sister, scrawny most of her life was a woman. They had slipped back into their older brother-baby sister mentality instantly. Sure they were both grown but some things would never change and there was a comfort in that understanding. Leon and Jesse both worked various garages and auto parts stores during the day and raced with Vince at night. Dom remembered the letter he'd received two years earlier asking his permission for them to live in the renovated, two bedroom basement. He'd agreed because he knew they would help Vince with the endeavor to keep Mia in college and because he felt like everyone would be safer living together then apart.

Then there was Letty. When he'd been locked up she had been sixteen, barely out of diapers if you'd asked him then. He had walked into his childhood home, had felt the comfort of being surrounded by his makeshift family, and something was just nagging at his intuition. Letty had been Mia's closest confidant since their mother's death ten years prior. Although they'd been neighbors they hadn't connected until all three had been at the same group therapy session. The thought of therapy made him scowl all over again. A small group of children who had lost at least one parent spent every other Wednesday in the basement of St. Lucas' Church muttering about how unfair it was that they were forced to relive their versions of hell. He, Mia and Letty had sat in the back, had bickered together, and ultimately Letty had met his father who in turn had introduced her to the engine of a battered '67 Impala. Dom hadn't known how close Mia had become with Letty until a night when his sister broke down after breaking one of their mother's favorite vases. Letty, all ready staunch and impenetrable, had risen as if the situation had been her calling and had comforted his sister the way only someone else who was suffering could comfort.

"Looks good," the husky quality of Letty's voice was still a surprise to him. Weren't guys supposed to get the deeper voice over time? She stepped up to his side, "he would have liked to know that we were carrying on the place."

"Yeah." If she had been Mia he would have wrapped an arm around her. But she wasn't Mia, she was not his sister. But she was a member of his team, his family. Her world was much like his. It was because she lived and breathed her principles the same way that he did that garnered his respect. He didn't respect many men, let alone women, but he respected the fuck out of Letty.

"I'm going to get started," he watched her walk in and smiled. She was right. His old man would have loved to know they were carrying on. He moved the ladder back to the storage room and started on the car beside Letty's, his intuition was telling him this was the start of something big.

XOXO

The problem with street racing was that it wasn't legitimate. Dom's wish up until the day he'd been sentenced had been to drive in the circuit, like his dad. As a rule he didn't spend time worrying over the past. What was done was just that, done. No going back, no changing things. But every single time he drove up to a gang of primed driving machines ready to race for the big dollars he felt the need to prove himself, his character.

He pulled his Skyline GT-R up to his spot. A spot of power if there ever was one. The cars formed a huge U and four cars now lined in the middle. The Toretto team. It had taken thirty straight ¼ mile wins for Dom to earn back his reputation. No, he hadn't lost it.

Immediately women in short skirts and shorter neck lines surrounded him. He had missed this. Females. In prison he had worked out constantly, beating down his teenage hormones. That had definitely paid off. Women loved his body and he liked their bodies well enough, at least for a few hours.

He felt Vince flank him on the right, Leon on the left. Dom didn't look behind him but he knew Letty and Mia would be behind him, Jesse tailing them all. He pulled the two closest girls close to him, held his palms over their asses like he would palm a good wrench before buckling down to fix a carburetor. This was as a much a part of his job as anything else. Reputation might be deeply engrained in the actions of the man but that did not mean that gossip didn't have its place. Dom Toretto: womanizer, driver, mechanic, small business owner, head of the team, he'll whoop your ass one minute and offer you a job the next.

"Yo Dom," Hector, an old friend and well known member L.A.'s street racing unit, came up to him. They grabbed hand, clapped one another's backs. Hector grinned at the team, "three races, two G's each. First one is with three regulars. Second one is two newbies and one regular. Third one is all you Dom."

Dom flexed his neck and pushed the girls away for a moment. He turned to face his team. He would race in the final, he always did. This was a spectator sport. You didn't stay in a prominent position by sitting out races, especially when people came distinctly to see you perform.

"Vince and Letty," his decision was made that quickly. Jesse didn't race often, he was much better at creating cars then driving them. Leon had raced on both Friday and Saturday the previous weekend and Mia only drove fast when there were cops around to give her tickets that Dom had to paid for.

Vince grinned, "okay brother. Let's go fetch us some easy money."

Dom looked at Letty. She stood beside Mia. Her response to his decision was a curt nod of her head before turning to get into her own car.

Vince's race was uneventful. His style was simple, win, get money, get beer, get laid. Tried and true. He had pulled ahead early and destroyed other driver's chance of getting ahead. Everyone surrounded him as he left his car. He grinned toward Dom before handing off the money earned to Mia, their unofficial accountant.

"Who's driving next from your team in the next race," a man, about 6 ½ feet, solid, looked and smelled like money asked Dom.

Dom looked into his eyes and decided immediately that he didn't like the man, "why?"

"I like to see my opponents before I beat them," the man replied before giving Dom a cocky grin, "I only wish it was the third race."

"Me," a husky voice behind spoke up before Dom could get into it. Dom didn't have to turn to know that Letty was standing at his right side, arms crossed over her chest, uncaring that the see through netted top just made her breasts jut out more, and her nose turned up in disgust.

"And who are you sexy," the man asked.

"I'm a driver who's going to smoke you on the road tonight and destroy your dreams of making up for your inferiority complex," her reply was slow, simple, lethal.

The man turned red, obviously embarrassed. He flexed his fists and Dom stepped forward and stated quietly, "you touch one of mine and you'll regret it almost immediately."

He turned, and practically ran back to his car. Letty called after him, "a small penis is nothing to be ashamed of."

Dom turned to her and raised an eyebrow. She raised her own eyebrow, a challenge that stated quite clearly that she didn't expect him to call her out on the comment.

"Get in the car Letty," he finally said with a sigh.

Letty was a case for study. Dom knew what it was like to be locked up, to not have the feeling of cool air in your face. Every time he sat down to drive all the shit melted away. He'd been watching Letty as she raced and recognized the same in her. He had a feeling that she was racing for some kind of peace that she hadn't found in any other avenue. She manipulated her competition, waited until the very last moment to push her NOS button and smoke every one of them.

As she parked she noticed that the man, J. King according to Hector, had sped off angrily. Letty shrugged and tossed her earnings to Mia.

Dom stretched his neck before opening his car door and turning to Hector, "five G's 1/4 mile."

Hector ran off with the exciting news. About fifteen minutes later two competitors, both regulars, were beside Dom. The race was like poetry. Smooth, the gears slid through, the NOS threw Dom into a realm of complete contentment. He won. As he wound his car around to get back to the group he noticed that everyone seemed chaotic, jumbled. He jumped out of his car and walked toward the middle of the crowd.

Leon caught him before he reached the middle, "he came up behind her and beat her with a fucking pipe!"

Dom heart fell down onto the tar. He looked down to ground and thought two things at the same moment, "thank God my baby sister is okay," and "Oh my God, my Letty's hurt".

"Who did this," Dom's words were murmured as he bent down. Mia had Letty's head in her lap. Letty's left shoulder was all ready swelling and looking discolored, what was worse was that she was bleeding somewhere and it was staining the street quickly. Her eyes were wide open, he could tell by the way she was breathing that the pain was terrible.

"J. King," Mia replied looking for her brother for direction.

"Vince," Dom's question.

"He went after the little fuck immediately," Jesse replied.

Dom looked to Leon, "find him, bring him home before he finishes the job."

"Dom, I don't know where it's coming from," Mia told him frantically as she looked around at the blood.

He bent and lifted Letty easily into his arms; that was when he felt it. The left side of her mid back had a long, deep cut. He'd accidently pressed into it. He imagined the pain she was in was ridiculous but she didn't so much as cry out. He looked into her eyes and read quite clearly that she was on her last straw and she didn't want to break in front of this crowd. Dom placed her gently in his car, motioned to Mia to drive Letty's car home, and left the baffled crowd.


	2. Salacity

Four hours, twenty-six stitches, six x-rays and one Walgreen's stop later Dom, Mia and Letty arrived home. Dom carried Letty to her bedroom, across from Mia's up stairs, and left Mia to care for her. On his way into the living room he stopped in the bathroom. He was covered in blood. He immediately remembered the day he had beat his father's murderer into a brain injury. He hadn't felt anger that strong since that day.

"Yo Dom you in there?"

Dom followed Leon's voice into the living room and sat. Vince's fists were swollen and reddened; they would surely become scarred, "how bad?"

"Broken nose, busted ribs, swollen eyes," Vince replied, "more if Leon had left me to handle our business."

"You'll thank me one day old coyote," Leon replied. He knew he had done the right thing. None of them wanted to end up in prison.

Dom sat back, "help me understand what happened."

"Letty and Mia were in the back, you know Mia gets antsy with big money in her pockets, she went to the car to stash and lock up, when she came back he was on Letty. He must have hit her from behind because he was spotless when I caught him."

Dom took in a deep breath. If he retaliated personally tonight he would kill the man. J. King had placed his hands on the wrong woman. There were only two women on his team and the stupid motherfucker just had to fuck with one of them. Dom cracked his knuckles before he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his hands in a prayer position, "she'll live, a few stitches and her left shoulder looks beat to hell but no breaks."

There was silence as even Jesse appeared to be holding back undisguised and barely pent up anger. Dom thoughts shifted around. The audacity of that man to think he could lay even one finger on Letty. The cowardice to hit her from behind. Dom wanted to rip his face off and feed it to him. He wanted J. King to hurt, to suffer unbearably.

"Dom," Mia's call had him on his feet instantly. He took the stairs two at a time until he was at Letty's door. He walked in without knocking and was surprised to see Letty standing in her skirt, her left shoulder and rips wrapped to conceal her breasts. Mia finished getting Letty into an oversized tee-shirt that he realized was his almost immediately.

"What did you want Mia," Dom asked softly.

Mia smiled at him as she helped Letty to sit on the corner of the bed, "we just wanted to know how J. King was fairing."

"He's busted up pretty bad, he doesn't know that tomorrow is going to be worse," Dom replied as he crossed his arms and leaned on the door frame. Letty said nothing. In general, when angry Letty wasn't as quiet as she was at racing events. She would verbally castrate each and every of the guys when they stepped out of line. She was practically one of the boys. Finally, after a few tense minutes he stood up straight, "go on to bed Mia, I'll make sure she gets into bed."

Mia knew her brother and knew Letty equally as well. Letty wasn't going to speak her peace in front of Mia so she gave her friend a small hug, careful of her injuries, and left the room. Dom clicked the lock in place and went to stand in front of Letty, "have at it."

He spread his arms wide and took her first punch without a sound, the second hit was directly in the sternum and took his breath away. The third hit was his stomach which rebounded beautifully. Finally she stood still, breathing heavy, protecting that left shoulder. Her hair was a mess, blood was caked in it, her make up had run. He gathered her into his arms and held her. This was new. Letty was tall, maybe only three inches shorter than him, but she was built. In the four years he'd been gone she'd grown.

"I should have been there to protect you," he told her gruffly. On a regular basis the team just considered Letty one of the guys. But on occasion they were reminded that she was also a woman. Tonight they had been reminded and they were furious with her injuries.

She curled up into his arms and sighed, "I should have ducked the second hit, taken him down with a leg sweep and stomped his nuts into the ground."

He couldn't help it, he laughed, yeah that was his Letty. He settled her closer to him. They had done this before twice. Once after her mother had died and the second time about forty minutes before the LAPD had shown up on his doorstep to arrest him. It had always been a comfort to them both but as he stood there he felt the differences in him as a man and her as a woman. Where he was strong, muscular, and hard; she was soft, firm in the right places, and curved.

"Come on, let's get you in bed," Dom commented at last. He knew that she didn't blame him but that wouldn't stop him from blaming himself.

"Can you get the zipper on my skirt," she turned and lifted the shirt. Dom slid the zipper down and gently tugged until the leather fell to her feet. Immediately Letty covered the piece of blue lace floss disguised as underwear but Dom had seen it and in response his pants had tightened significantly. He played it off, it was just the adrenaline and a well shaped ass. It could happen to any man.

Dom helped her into bed, rubbed her cheek gently because he couldn't seem to stop himself, and then gently turned off the light.

XOXO

Sometime later Dom sat up straight in bed. He'd heard a sound and it was not a normal sound for his house. He took enough time to pull on his briefs before going to investigate. He followed the sound to Letty's room and opened the door unceremoniously.

Dom found her huddled in the top corner of the bed, shaking like a leaf. He'd seen this happen to her before after a bad fight. The fight always brought her back to her childhood. The nightmares were gruesome, they were written all over her face. He knew better than to try and wake her. He scooped her up and brought her back to his room since his bed was bigger.

He laid her gently on the side in between him and the bed, blocking any unknown dangers. Letty rolled to him, still in the fetal position whimpering. No tears, not even as a child, Dom thought. Dom rested his hand in her hair and rubbed gently. He didn't know if this was right, he only knew that it calmed her. The same way that chasing girls calmed Leon, and toying with his guitar calmed Vince, and the way messing with the graphics and creating the model for a new car calmed Jesse. Everyone had their thing.

He fell asleep holding her to his side, protecting her body with his.

XOXO

"I feel like we should check on her," Leon told Mia for the millionth time.

"She's fine! The doctor gave her Vicodin, she'll be out of it and resting fine," Mia replied again.

Vince looked from Mia to Leon obviously waiting to choose a side. Finally he nodded in Leon direction, "yeah, I want to know she's all right too."

"Fine, go up stairs and make sure she's still breathing," Mia finally gave her blessing. As she collected their dirty plates she grinned. She had checked on her best friend this morning. Imagine her surprise when after a small well constructed adventure she found her in quite an interesting position.

Leon, Vince and Jesse took the stairs quietly, not wanting to wake her, only to check on her. They popped her door open quietly and looked in; Jesse on the bottom, then Leon, and then Vince. When they saw the bed was empty they were deflated. They all looked at each other before running down the hall. Each man wanted to be the first to tell Dom that a member of the team was missing status post huge beat down. He'd be livid.

They popped their heads into his room the same way they had done it in Letty's room. Leon drew in a sharp breath, "well I'll be."

"What the fuck," Vince scowled as he took in the scene.

Dom was sleeping on his back, sprawled, he was snoring softly. The surprise was that Letty was basically on top of him, breathing softly as she slept. Her face turned up into his neck and they realized one of his arms was locked around her, his palm on the swell of her ass, keeping her completely stationary. Her shirt had ridden up and there was a tantalizing glance of a blue lace thong.

They closed the door, stood for one moment before Jesse whispered, "do you think they-"

"Sure as shit looks like it," Vince replied.

"Let's go back to the kitchen," Leon suggested.

The three men sat down and waited for approximately three seconds before all of them were trying to tell Mia what they had seen. Finally Vince spoke over the other two, "Letty's sleeping in Dom's fucking bed!"

Mia's eyebrows rose, "wow."

"That's it," Leon asked, "just a small, barely stated 'wow'?"

"Did you expect a better reaction," she wondered.

"Yeah, I must say I expected something that would be reminiscent of Toretto heritage. Your best friend and brother are slapped together like two pieces of bologna and you don't mind?"

She shrugged, "no. They're both grown ups. Besides I'm sure they'll have an explanation."

The three men exchanged looks before the whole situation set in. Suddenly they all started to laugh. That was when Leon thought of it, "hey Jess, you should go snap a picture of the two of them."

"Yes," Vince agreed, nodding at Leon's genius.

Mia shook her head at these antics. She had a feeling they would be very sorry.


	3. That Simple And That Complicated

Dom woke up first. He felt good! He hadn't slept so well in years. He felt the weight on him and it hadn't been restricting so it took him a few moments to process that it was in fact abnormal.

He looked down and groaned quietly. Letty was sleeping on top of him. He wasn't sure how to deal with this. He had never woken up in the morning with a woman, he didn't play that. Add to the fact that her lady parts were in perfect conjunction with his man business and that made for an interesting situation.

She sighed and snuggled which made him go from morning wood to ready or not here I come. She moved her head and seemed to snuggle his chest before opening her eyes. He watched as she looked around and then down at their bodies and then up at his face. She looked down again and he followed her line of thought. Yup, that was his hard on covered only in gray briefs and there was her blue lace thong covered pussy right on top of it.

"Wow," her broken morning voice made him thump in anticipation. He watched her bite her lower lip as she continued to look at the two of them. He grew impossibly harder and then he felt it and almost flipped her and fucked the shit out of her. She was wet and it was soaking through his briefs.

"Let," he groaned out her name. His hand, all ready on the cusp of her left ass cheek, slid down to knead her soft ass. The rhythm of his hand made her rub on him and her shirt was riding up. She began to kiss him and occasionally nipped him on the shoulders, on the neck, around his sensitive ears. He knew that the moment the shirt revealed her naked chest he would be a goner. Her breasts would be in his mouth before he could think of stopping.

Finally the shirt was nearing the end and that was when he remembered. He stopped and looked at the bandages wrapped around her. She looked down at her own chest and sighed, "I was wondering what that pain was."

"Stand up," he ordered. She didn't move and he sighed, "I need to see what you look like."

She stood, he helped her take the shirt off, and began to unroll the bandages. Letty covered her breasts as Dom stood behind her taking it all in, "what's it look like?"

Dom didn't reply. Her left shoulder was purple and the stitches had finally swelled, leaving a puffed out gash the length of his forearm. No wonder she had bled so much. He went in front of her and pulled her to him, cradling her head. He needed the contact, he needed to comfort her even if she wouldn't ask for it. Finally he whispered, "you look like shit Letty."

She laughed and then stopped, it must have been painful, "why was I in your bed?"

"Nightmare," he replied.

She nodded because there was nothing to say. She hated that anyone ever saw her that way. She hated that Dom saw her that way.

"I think I'm going to take a shower," she told him. They both knew that what she was saying was that they could pretend that the last fifteen minutes hadn't happened and go back to normal.

"I'll wrap you back up when you're done," he replied. Acceptance.

XOXO

Dom was the first to come down stairs. He kissed Mia on the cheek as he accepted the plate of eggs and bacon. He sat across from Vince, "where is J. King?"

"If he's smart then he's away from here," Vince replied.

"Call Hector," Dom told Leon.

Before Leon rose to make the call he sat back in his chair, "so brother, you're looking well rested."

"Thanks," Dom's look told Leon that he was acting gay.

"You know, I know what makes me look that well rested," Vince added.

"What's that," Dom asked.

Jesse coughed into his hand, "sex!"

"You had sex? With who," Dom asked incredulously.

"Not me," Jesse began but stopped as Letty walked down the stairs. She had put on a pair of Dom's sweats and one of his wife beaters over her black bra. She felt infinitely better now that her hair was clean.

"Morning," she told them all. She accepted the plate from Mia and grinned gratefully, "thanks for taking care of me last night."

"No problem, you're family," Mia replied, she just barely held in her grin.

Letty sat at the table and after a few minutes looked around at the guys, "what?"

"You look well rested," Leon began. Dom stared at Leon, trying to figure out what in the hell the man was trying to say.

Dom finally got it and growled, "I did not fuck her!"

Letty's fork dropped and her mouth widened, "excuse me?"

"He did," Jesse asked, misunderstanding Letty's response.

"They just tried this 'you look rested' shit on me. They think we fucked last night," he explained.

"To be fair we saw you two together in Dom's bed and I think the natural conclusion-" Jesse was cut off by Vince. He pulled up close to the table, "just how long have you two been fucking?"

"Why were you in my bedroom," Dom countered.

"Because Letty wasn't in hers," Mia replied pointedly, obviously enjoying the entire conversation.

Letty finally closed her mouth. She stood, "Dom and I do not fuck. Period."

"I know, I know," Leon began, "it's making love-"

"Dom and I," she repeated, "do not fuck. Ever."

"Oh," Jesse nodded, "well why didn't you say so? You two just looked cozy, but if it was innocent, it was innocent."

She nodded and then looked back at the plate of food. She had lost her appetite.

XOXO

Dom was in a mood. He had thought that scaring the fuck out of J. King would make him feel better but it hadn't. Hector had brought the man into the garage and Dom had almost winced. Vince had destroyed his face. Then he remembered the bruise Letty had on her shoulder. The kind of bruise you only got when someone put their back into it.

"The problem," Dom began after a few moments of silence, "is that you put your hands on a member of my team. I don't think I would have been angry if it had been someone I was just acquainted with. I don't even think I would have been angry if it had been any other woman. But you put your hands on one of mine. Worse, you put your hands on one of the two women in my team."

"I'm sorry," he told Dom.

Dom had no doubt that after the beating Vince gave him that the man was apologetic. He squatted down to be eye level with him as he was on his knees, "no, you're not sorry yet."

"Please," he started to beg as Dom rose again. Dom kicked him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Then the ribs, the stomach, and ended by squatting again, "you do not want to touch one of mine again. Now say you're sorry."

Letty stood with Vince and Leon as they watched. The man rose to his knees, this time clutching his stomach, "I'm sorry."

She said nothing but spit in his face before turning and walking out. As she left she gave her judgment, "let him go."

"Lucky boy," Leon murmured.

"Very lucky," Vince cracked his knuckles.

Hector's boys pulled J. King up and brought him outside. Hector slapped hands with Dom, tipped an invisible hat, and left. Dom stretched his neck before turning back to the guys, "it's Saturday and we have a busy night, let's just call it quits. BBQ at the house for dinner."

Dom found her in the extra tool cabinet. She was pacing two feet again and again. She looked pissed. He didn't know if she had always looked this appealing when she was pissed but right now, to his eyes, she was sexy as sin. He didn't know how he felt about thinking of how sexy Letty looked.

"How you feeling," he asked.

She looked at him, "not as good as I thought I would after spitting in his face."

"Yeah," he agreed, "me either."

"What the hell happened this morning man," she finally asked.

"Hell if I know," Dom replied.

She looked up at him through the fringe of her bangs. Her dark eyes spoke volumes even though he was sure she didn't think they would. She was scared. Something had changed, maybe everything had changed. All he knew was that suddenly she wasn't just Letty, a trusted friend and needed member of his team. Suddenly she was a woman and he was a man. That simple and that fucking complicated.

XOXO

That night despite Dom's protest Letty and Mia accompanied the rest of the team to the races. Jesse lost, he was always just a bit too NOS happy, pushing his button too soon. Dom won and another race was done without any member of the team, a sign of respect to Letty for being out of commission because of the attack.

After the races everyone was invited to the Toretto home base to party, a regular Saturday night occurrence. Mia went up stairs to finish up an essay for which she spent an absurd amount of time researching. Leon found a ready and willing race whore relatively quickly and disappeared to his section of the basement. Vince was playing a military game on the PlayStation with Jesse.

Letty took her fourth or fifth beer outside intending to look at the stars and reflect on the fucked up direction her life had taken in the last 36 hours. Instead she ran into Dom and two barely clad race whores. That was the thing about race whores, they barely wore any clothes. Sure, Letty's personal favorite outfit, a leather mini and a see through top, was revealing but these girls were basically only in underwear, they weren't even pretending to be covered!

Dom was sitting on the bench and the two girls were on the picnic table, their legs draped over his shoulders as they bent close enough to brush him with their breasts. Letty felt her teeth clench and knew that if she didn't reign in on her temper she'd be knocking their expensive teeth out. She turned abruptly and almost wanted to sag in defeat when she heard his voice, "Letty? What's up?"

"Nothing," she didn't turn back, "just heading back in."

"Did you need to talk to me," he asked.

"Nope," she denied and rushed inside before she was forced to say anything more. She ran up the stairs and didn't stop running until she was in her room. She closed the door and locked it for good measure. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! This was not supposed to happen. She was not supposed to start feeling jealous and territorial.

Letty was an honest person to herself. That was why she didn't give a damn what anyone thought of her outside of her team. She was self-confident and self-possessed. She couldn't say that she had never thought of being with Dom. He was their leader and she was the only woman not genetically related to him who he trusted and respected. He was also tall, and muscular, and smelled as good after a day of fixing cars as he did fresh out of the shower. Oh yeah, she'd thought about it. But she had been sixteen when she thought about it. She'd had years to get over it. She had met guys, fucked around with guys, kicked guys to the curb. But now it was startlingly clear that all she had ever done was ignore the tell tale signs. And the whole situation was fucked. She would not fuck with Dom. Sometimes it felt like he was all she had. She refused to lose him because they couldn't control their hormones. Besides Dom seemed to have gotten over it all ready.

"This situation is fucked," she murmured out loud, and then to herself she added, "for me."


	4. Leather And Lace

**STR8BKCHICK- I put up my fastest update ever strictly because of your review and because you updated "Long Way Down" :)**

Dom woke suddenly, violently. He hadn't had that nightmare in close to one year. Every time it was the same, his father walking out of the crushed car, telling him that he had failed him before dying in his arms. It left him sweating and so fucking sad that he wanted to bang his head against the wall just to get the imprint of it out of his mind.

He rose, not considering the ramifications of his actions, and walked to Letty's door. He didn't even knock, just put his hand on the door. He wasn't so dense that he didn't realize that after the other night just one more night would be excessive.

Suddenly the door opened and Letty was standing in front of him. She was wearing a pair of white lace panties, the kind that pretended to cover her ass but really ended at the swell of her behind, and a tight white baby tee. Her hair was down her back in crazy waves. She looked like she could barely keep her eyes open, "what?"

"How did you know," he whispered, not wanting to wake Mia or Vince, who slept in the attic.

She shrugged, "couldn't tell you. I was just about to go check the house out, something was wrong."

"Do you usually check the doors in your underwear," he asked. That was a novel thought; Letty roaming around in her underwear. And so far he had to admit the woman had some sexy underwear.

"Well generally I'm the only one around to notice," her smart ass reply almost made him smirk. He probably would have smirked too if it wasn't so fucking weird; Letty standing half naked in front of him. Was this new? Or had he just never paid attention to anything except her smart mouth?

"Well I'm here now, I'll go with you," it wasn't an offer that she could turn down and they both knew it.

Letty sighed heavily, intentionally conveying her displeasure. It had been three days since Dom had fucked those two race whores. If she had any doubt that he had banged them then hearing them giggle and speak in hushed tones in the bathroom afterward would have proved her wrong. He'd fucked them both and very well apparently.

"Fine," she would have offered to put on shorts but he'd made too big of a deal out of it with his long assessing perusal of her body. They made their way down the stairs Dom first, not because he thought he was better than her, but because he wanted to protect her in case someone was waiting. The thought made her smile, she could protect herself. She had protected herself for countless years before ever even meeting Dom.

Together they moved from the back of the house to the front, both locks were in place. Dom watched as she pulled the blinds shut to cover the living room window. She put one knee on the couch and bent forward to yank them into place. He watched the muscles under her softness ripple. He thought about this logically. If he took everything off the table and thought of her as just a woman she would be pretty damned close to perfect. Beautiful, intelligent, stacked, and a deep love for anything on four wheels. He bet she fucked like a wild woman. He bet that she could make love so leisurely that it could last for hours.

"How's your bruise," his voice was low and so deep that it almost vibrated the air around them.

She turned, noticed where his attention was and shrugged, "turning a nice yellow. I get the stitches out on Friday morning."

He nodded, he would remember that and ask Mia to go with her. She rose and looked him in the eyes, "this could get stupid real quick."

"I think it got stupid last Saturday morning," he replied.

"Agreed. So you should probably keep your eyes on mine because it looks like you have a," she paused dramatically, "growing problem."

Dom didn't have to look at his briefs to know he was sporting a semi-erection. He also didn't need to look at Letty's body to remember what it had felt like touching it. This was strange indeed. He could take a few steps and press his body in on hers, let her know who was boss. But how would they rebound from that? Things would never be the same again. They couldn't be.

So he didn't take the few steps. Letty studied him in his wife beater and briefs. He was walking sex. His muscles were firm, she could imagine running her fingers over them again. She could imagine settling over him the first time and riding him into euphoria. She took a step forward, arched one eyebrow, and smirked, "I told myself that I wouldn't do this. I told myself that we would never get back to normal if I did."

"Do what," his voice deepened again, his body hummed with anticipation.

She put her hands on his chest, gently took hold of the collar of his wife beater and ripped it down the middle. She smirked again, "we'll get back to normal," she promised.

Dom nodded but didn't speak. He'd had his fair share of women but he had never been manhandled. It turned him on immensely. If she was so certain that this would be nothing then who was he argue? Letty had her own mind. She wouldn't turn into one of those needy hoes. And God knew he wouldn't turn into one of those kiss asses.

He pulled her to him roughly, his hand on her behind. He pushed his other hand through her hair and was about to taste her again, finally, when the lights came on. Letty tried to jerk away, an instant response. His response was to pull her even closer.

Jesse surveyed the two of them, his mouth opened slightly when he noticed Dom's ripped wife beater, then he finally shook his head. He turned the light back off and spoke to no one in particular as he made his way to the kitchen muttering, "...completely innocent."

"I end up in my bed, you end up in yours," Letty told him. He nodded his assent. Letty took his hand and led the way up the stairs. He followed her as she walked toward his bedroom but suddenly stopped. She turned to look at him through the darkness, "you fucked that trash in here the other night?"

"I washed the sheets," he replied. He wasn't going to lie, not to Letty.

"Do I need to ask you if you're clean," she asked.

"I will always protect you."

They didn't bother to turn on the lights. Letty grabbed his face and pulled him down for a kiss and he had to admit that she tasted good. He pulled her body close to his again and deepened the kiss, stroking his tongue into her mouth to get a better taste. Her hands began to roam his body, stroking, and shocking him with small scratches. As usual now one hand kneaded one perfect ass cheek. Breaking the kiss for only one moment Dom stripped Letty's shirt off. She groaned, probably from the pain it caused in her shoulder but continued.

She pushed him toward the bed and as he sat down she went lower. She kissed his collar bones, licked a fiery path down his chest to the waist band of his briefs. He had hardened so painfully that he didn't think he could move without shattering. Letty leaned back suddenly looking at him with lusty eyes. His eyes roamed over her and appreciated the sight. Thank God he hadn't known that her tits were so perfect or he never would have been able to stand seeing her in those work shirts.

"Take off your briefs and sit back down," she commanded.

He wasn't a man who said no to a woman in this type of situation. If she wanted him naked he would do his best to accommodate her. When he did as she asked Letty grinned, "Oh boy, are you gonna come!"

Dom swallowed hard, he believed her. His fingers slid over the skin of her tight belly. He felt her quiver, knew his touch affected her as much as hers did him. She tortured him with well placed suckles and hot nips. She grazed her nails all over and finally put her mouth over him.

The first suckle made him groan out loud, deep and masculine, as he pumped his hips up. She smiled up at him, his cock still in her hands, "you taste delicious."

The only response he was capable of was, "yeah."

She laughed and then got back down to business. It wasn't that he'd never had a blow job it was that it wasn't just a blow job. When he was on the brink of coming she would pull back, massage him, kiss him, nibble on him. Finally he groaned, "put me out of my fucking misery Let."

Letty maneuvered Dom into standing and pushed him against the wall before returning to her knees. He understood that this wasn't a position Letty was in often although he wasn't dumb enough to believe it was her first time, she was just too damned good. He knew that this time she was going send him over. He noticed her free hand snake between her own legs and moaned as she suckled him once more. That took him over. His balls tightened, he felt himself swell, and finally he released everything in him to this one woman. He heard her moan as she took herself over a moment later.

She rose after sucking him into a latent softness. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he lifted her closer so he could kiss her. She sighed into his kiss and smiled, "good night Dom."

Dom couldn't believe she was leaving after that. She hadn't even asked for anything in return. It took a moment for that thought to settle in even as he heard her bedroom door shut. He had just realized they hadn't even had sex.

XOXO

Dom woke promptly at seven thirty which was his schedule. He didn't need an alarm, like his intuition, his wake up call was engrained within him. As he pumped the weight set in the garage he went from lazy satisfaction to disgruntled. He hadn't so much as licked her nipple. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had such a satisfying sexual encounter or the last time he had gotten his pleasure and the woman involved hadn't. Now she probably thought he was a selfish lover. Fuck.

"So Jesse had a strange dream last night," Vince began as he began to prepare the bench beside Dom.

Dom's response was a deep rumble in his chest. Leon spotted Vince and they shared a look before he continued, "said that you and baby girl were in the living room in your underwear practicing foreplay."

"We both went to check out the house at the same time. We both happened to be in our sleep attire."

"Doesn't explain the foreplay," Vince reminded him.

"You guys should mind your own business," Dom warned. He pumped hard without another word for thirty more minutes before Mia called out that breakfast was ready.

The guys sat down waiting for whatever Mia put on the table, real food or cereal, it didn't matter much. Mia looked toward the stairs and yelled, "Letty, breakfast. Move it or lose it!"

There was some loud crashing and a few choice cuss words before Letty came down the stairs. Wearing cut off jean shorts and a black baby tee that showed off her newest belly button ring. Dom almost groaned he wanted to taste that belly button so badly.

"The new chrome pistons come in today," Letty told them all, which meant, hello, good morning, today is going to be a good day. She didn't notice until halfway through her cereal that the boys were staring at her. She sat back, "what now?"

Jesse smiled, "I never could keep a secret."

"You didn't see anything," Letty huffed.

"I saw you close to naked, Dom with a ripped wife beater, both of you with your hands on-"

Leon cut him off with a smirk, "the cookie jar, so to speak."

"I fell, he caught me, I accidently ripped his shirt. Like I said before Dom and I don't fuck."

Dom didn't say a word, didn't give up anything with his expression. She was being very cavalier. Which was exactly how he expected Letty to be. Damn it but she was good at this shit. He didn't like hiding from their team. He didn't like that he was going to take extra care because she part of his team. He also didn't like he was fast approaching saluting status just because he got a huge whiff of her scent. God damn, pheromones were strong as shit.

"Letty gets her stitches out of on Friday, Mia. Do you want to go with her," he asked.

"I would but I have orientation," Mia replied apologetically.

"It's okay girl, I can go alone," Letty replied.

Dom shook his head no, "I'll take you. You won't be in any shape to drive."

Letty knew she was being watched by everyone, knew they would gauge her reaction and then make their decisions about what transpired the night before. She shrugged, "okay."

Jesse seemed deflated, Leon still watched quietly and cautiously, Vince grinned, "tried your luck and failed old friend?"

"Let's get to work, knuckleheads," Dom rose and the boys followed him out.

Letty knew Mia was looking at her so she tossed her hair back and met her eyes, "what?"

"Nothing," Mia grinned, "nothing at all."


	5. Release

**Warning, super sexy chapter!**

Dom watched her all the time, or at least as often as he could. When she had arrived at the garage she had wrangled her hair up into a no nonsense ponytail and started in beside Vince on the Jetta they were reworking for a street racer they were all familiar with. Occasionally Vince would say something that would make her grin. How had he never noticed that she had a movie star smile? How had he never noticed that her shirt rode up all the time? How had he never noticed that her entire wardrobe invited entirely too much male attention?

He got fed up watching her, getting tense every time a customer eyed her behind, and growling unnecessarily at everyone else. At lunch everyone went to the small goods store they owned. Mia worked the afternoon shift on Wednesdays and would have anticipated their arrival. In usual fashion they pulled up in their cars, showing off their talents. Together they walked into the shop. Almost immediately Letty went behind the counter with Mia, grabbing sandwiches to throw at the guys, helping out. When everyone was finally settled Letty turned to guzzle her beer but it looked odd.

Letty studied the bottle before slamming it down on the counter, "who took this?"

The guys busted out laughing, falling all over themselves. Mia looked at the bottle and burst into laughter herself. Letty looked toward the guys, assessing them angrily, "Leon's idea, Vince egging him on. It was Jesse."

Dom watched as Letty chased the guys around their establishment. Utter chaos. He finally picked up the bottle and almost groaned at the picture taped on it. Is that what the two of them had looked like? Shit! They looked fucking perfect together. He looked utterly comfortable and rested as she laid over his chest, their legs intertwined. Letty's logic was right, there was no doubt Jesse had taken the picture, it was a piece of art. It could have only been taken by an artist.

"You guys make her tear one stitch and I'll be handing everyone their asses when I get her home from the hospital," Dom mentioned in his normal tone of voice.

The guys stopped abruptly. Vince settled beside him breathing heavily, "it was a joke."

Dom didn't reply. He ate his sandwich and tossed the beer bottle after draining the contents into a cup for Letty. He knew they saw it as a joke, shit he knew Letty didn't expect anything from it, but all of a sudden it was too fucking serious.

XOXO

Dom slept fitfully for two more nights before Friday morning. He had been anticipating being alone with Letty during the forty minute drive to and from the doctor's office. He would finally get to speak his peace. The drive to the office was boring. Letty had taken a pain pill before leaving the house per the doctor's advice and had slept soundly the whole trip. At the doctor's office he sat beside her as she laid on her stomach and had every stitch removed one by one. Finally after an hour of Letty gritting her teeth and sucking it up Dom got her back into the car, heading for home.

"Fuck my life," she said each word distinctly.

He glanced at her as he switched gears. She was in sitting Indian style on the seat, her arms wrapped around her waist, her head tossed back in the seat, her eyes tightly closed, "how bad?"

"7 out of 10 easy," she replied using the 1-10 numeric scale for pain.

Dom was silent a moment longer before he settled into the highway, "did you enjoy the other night?"

He knew she sat up straighter, felt her gaze on him as she pushed the fringe out of her eyes, "yeah. You taste good."

"Fuck," he muttered, he had thought immediate hard-ons were in his past.

She hummed a bit before laughing, "I really did enjoy it. But I don't expect anything. It was a one time thing. A lot of hormones in the house that night."

He stretched his neck as he thought about that. He wasn't sure that he hadn't been locked in a tight sexual tension with her for longer than the last two weeks. Dom wasn't a hard sleeper as a rule but he had slept like a baby the night the guys had taken the picture. He also wasn't a man who thought about the bitches who got him to the goal of busting his nut the next day. He didn't know if he was relieved or angry that Letty had basically gone back to normal.

"We didn't have sex," he told her.

He just knew that she was arching that right eyebrow, "really?"

"You didn't even give me a chance to return the favor," Dom huffed, finally getting that off of his chest.

"You were tired," she replied, "I could tell. That nut exhausted you."

Dom pushed the accelerator and slid into the fourth gear, "I was not nearly as exhausted as you think."

"That week we had reopened the garage, I got beat up, Vince had retaliated on behalf of the group, and you were exhausted. I got myself where I needed to be. No harm, no foul," she replied easily.

Dom pulled onto the shoulder of the highway, probably burnt his clutch in the meantime, in a fit of lust filled agitation. He pulled her to his lap to kiss her. One of his arms wrapped around her, supporting her because of her wound, and pulled her until she was straddling him. As he kissed her he turned the car further into the shoulder of the highway until they were in the trees. When he felt they were deep enough into the trees he deepened their kiss, shoving his tongue in deep to taste her.

She groaned as he pulled back, "what are you doing?"

"Taking what's mine," he replied. He pushed her shirt up, unclasped the bra and moved the underwires up with the shirt. Immediately his mouth covered one dark nipple. He suckled hard, he felt her jerk in his lap, she bucked her hips over his cock moaning so loudly that it surrounded him. He blazed a fiery trail to the next nipple giving it the same lavish treatment.

"Oh God…shit," she groaned as she pushed his head into her, loving his touch, loving his mouth. He rolled the previous nipple between fingers, pulling gently but with purpose.

"I want you to put your ass on the wheel and pull your shorts down," he commanded. She tried but he saw that there was pain with the abrupt movements. He helped her and once she was where he wanted her he spread her open and looked at her. He groaned and looked into her eyes, "Jesus your pussy is perfect."

With no preamble he got to work. She had told him he was delicious, well she was like ambrosia. Her back arched and her breathing changed. She was breathing violently, her body shaking as he gave her what she needed. She cradled his head between her legs, gently rubbing the back of his neck.

"Dom," she chanted his name for a time before he finally added his finger to the equation. She screamed, literally, told him something in Spanish and came in his mouth. He continued to lick at her as he played with her oversensitive nipples. Finally her body spasms stopped and he looked up at her.

He grinned, "now you know what you were missing."

Letty settled back into his lap and kissed him deeply, "thank you."

Dom kissed her temple as she cuddled into him and drove them home in that position.

Dom didn't bother to wake her when they arrived back at the house. He lifted her easily within his arms and walked into the house. He briefly thought of putting her into her own bed but then brought her into his room. He pulled her tee shirt off and the unbuttoned shorts, he didn't think it would be right to wake her to get her into a shirt so he just pulled her bra off and grinned when he pulled off her soaking wet panties. Dom put the covers over her naked body, stripped, and got into bed with her.

XOXO

Letty woke up to him shifting into a more comfortable position. She was facing the wall and he had just pulled her a few inches to his meet his bare chest. She knew even with her jumbled thoughts that she was spooning with Dominic Toretto. In a rush she remembered their afternoon. God she had never come so hard. And then she had slept, she blushed as she realized that he must have stripped her.

She looked at her watch, grateful she wore a watch because Dom didn't have an alarm, and sat up abruptly. It was four thirty on a Friday. The team would be home in less than an hour for dinner before getting ready for the races.

Letty turned to Dom and noticed that his eyes were open, he was studying her. She just knew that he was naked and she knew that he was going to end up being her weakness.

"What's wrong," he asked.

"The team will be home soon," she replied.

His hand caressed her bare nipple, seemed entranced by the act, "you have truly perfect breasts. I don't mean perfect like a stripper," he sat up and tasted one, "I mean God looked at you and said she will be the only woman on earth with the perfect rack. I could lick your nipples all day."

"Shit Dom," she begged. If he took her under there was no way she would even begin to know how to fight.

"I want to be inside of you so badly that I can taste it," he grinned, "literally."

"Not now, not with the team approaching as we speak," she replied.

"Does it matter," he wondered.

Her eyes widened, "of course. They love you, shit they probably love me too, but that doesn't mean that they're not gossip mongers."

"Don't care," he nuzzled the valley between her breasts and pulled her back to the bed.

She laughed, a sound that was purely Letty, he looked up and she cupped his face, "another time. Besides Toretto, you got a race to win."

Dom sighed, rested his chin on her belly and just watched as she fought an internal war. Letty was a woman. It was official. She was all woman, with needs, and a strong and steady character. He wanted her. He wasn't sure what that meant yet but he knew that the basics would never change. She would always be on his team, she would always be inside him. No point wasting time on things you couldn't change. His life was black and white, no gray.

XOXO

They pulled into their usual spots and left their vehicles in typical fashion. Dom felt the usual race whores flank him and felt instantly repelled. He couldn't show his interest in Letty here, and even if he could he had a reputation. As previously mentioned gossip was just as important as the actions of a man.

Hector approached him, "J. King hasn't been in LA since last Saturday."

"What I wanted to hear," Dom told him as they slapped hands.

"Three races, 1 G each, fourth race is your decision," Hector told him.

"Sounds good," Dom agreed. He watched his group disband as they went to socialize. Vince went toward one particular race whore, he had set his sights and when he won his race she would be his. Leon and Jesse headed toward a new car, obviously decked out. Mia and Letty went toward a group of legit racers. Like Dom there were a few racers and their groups who had principles and teams. He watched Letty laugh at something a driver said. The guy casually looked her up and down while she laughed and Dom felt his fists clench. He'd had her in his mouth that afternoon but that didn't mean shit because he hadn't clarified that she wasn't to be touched by another man. He knew that would be a whole different conversation on some real shit.

"Where did J. King go," Dom asked.

Hector stopped counting the incoming money, "to San Fran I think, back to the Washington scene. Much more friendly."

Dom grinned but then he remembered seeing the blood stains on his sheets from Letty's draining wound. His jaw clenched, "he deserved more than what he got."

"Agreed. Some women deserve respect because they earn it. Letty earned it," Hector told him.

"Speaking of," Dom replied, "I'm guarding mine tonight. These motherfuckers are crazy. Let me know when it's time."

Dom headed toward his sister and Letty. Mia was talking with one particular driver who owned an auto parts store, he was very respectful, his father had known their father. He got right behind Letty, until her leather clad behind was nestled where he wanted it. He felt her body stiffen before it melted. He whispered in her ear, "ready to go?"

"Born ready," she replied rocking her hips just slightly.

"If we weren't here my cock would be buried so deep inside of you that you wouldn't be able to tell where you started and I ended," his right hand, hidden from the crowd moved down her back to cup her behind.

He thought she might pull away or even pull a joke, instead she sighed into his touch, "I am so fucking wet."

Dom's dick jerked in reaction. This Letty, the one he only saw when they were alone, was always surprising him. This was getting out of hand. All of a sudden he was in some alternate universe where he and Letty were in some sexual haze.

As if she had the same thoughts she murmured, "we'll always be on the team. When this ends we'll figure our shit out. We both need the team too much."

Simple and straight forward, that was Letty, that was him. Black and white. No matter what they would get through it. But he still frowned as he pulled away, Mia was walking their way, he wasn't sure it would ever end.


	6. Bitter Sweet Endings

The after party that accompanied their blow out at the races was epic. Dom had directed Jesse and the girl he was stripping in the living room down to his room shaking his head the entire time. Vince and Leon had all ready had their round one with various race whores. Mia had long since gone to bed. Dom found Letty in the kitchen talking with an up and coming racer. She had practically sold him on getting his work done at their garage when Dom came up. He was six beers in and officially tipsy.

"Hey Dom, this is Raz, he needs a full set installed and I thought we could supply," Letty told him.

Dom greeted the man, did the normal networking necessary for his job and quickly got him involved with one particularly easy race whore. When they were alone Letty leaned against the sink and stared at him. Jesus, was it fair for him to look so sexy in a v-neck white tee and black jeans?

"What you thinking about Let," he asked.

She pulled herself onto the counter, smiled when it didn't hurt as badly as she thought it would, "you, naked, in my mouth."

A woman of little words, Dom smiled, "that's one of my destinations for the evening," he admitted.

Letty laughed out loud, "you know what I could use?"

"What," he moved between her legs.

She draped her arms around his shoulders, her fingers caressing his neck, "a good massage," she admitted.

He pulled her butt closer to the edge so she could feel exactly how she affected him, "that could happen, for a price."

"What's the price," she wondered.

Dom massaged her behind as he ground his hips into her, letting her feel what was up, "you're a smart girl, you'll figure it out."

"You can't tell me this is a misunderstanding," Vince's voice tore them out of their world. Dom turned, hiding Letty's open legs. Vince stepped forward, the race whore under his arm forgotten, "what in the hell are you two doing?"

"Talking," Letty gave the answer, instant mistake. She never talked for Dom.

Vince scowled, "you two trying to fuck up everything?"

"Watch your mouth," Dom told him quietly.

"This is Letty, Dom! Fucking Letty! What are you thinking? You could fuck any half bit hanging around and you choose to fuck with the one girl who we all consider family?"

Dom stepped forward, "this isn't about fucking."

Letty's eyes must have opened as wide as Vince's because he seemed to gauge her reaction, "it's always about fucking! Once you bust enough times and you move on what then? Think about the team for Christ's sake!"

"Vince," she looked at the man who had stood beside her since she was thirteen and couldn't find a thing to say. She sighed, flipped one hand through her hair, "can we talk about this tomorrow?"

"So you can spend a whole night fucking everything up?"

"Back off," Dom stepped ahead, nose to nose with Vince. Letty anticipated a huge Dom-Vince blow out and sighed.

"Make me," Vince replied. They took it outside and Letty didn't even bother to hang around. She went up to her room and got ready for bed.

Around two hours later she felt Dom lift her, she knew it was him because she recognized his smell. He placed her gently down and got behind her. She fell asleep again instantly.

XOXO

Dom rolled over at seven-thirty and pulled the warm body next to him even closer. He nuzzled into her neck and breathed her in. He opened his eyes, only Letty could smell this fucking good in the morning. He let his hand creep down into her panties. He cupped her, used his middle finger to rub her sensitive area, and kissed up her neck until he got to her ear, "wake up, baby."

He felt her stir, felt her hips working with his finger. Dom knew the instant she fully woke and flipped her immediately, his mouth closed over her nipple through the thin wife beater she wore. Letty's hands cradled his head to her as she gasped. He continued to work her and switched to the next nipple.

"Good morning," Letty moaned to him.

Dom grinned and looked up at her, "not yet, but it will be."

When she finally came, her hips thrusting wildly, Dom removed his hand and pulled her wife beater off. She rolled over onto him and had him inside of her mouth before he could even think. Last night Dom had asked what she wanted and she had said she wanted him in her mouth. Just call him Mr. Disney, making dreams come true.

"God damn, you are good at this," he told her. He all ready felt way too close to the edge, "Let, I'm gonna come, you gotta stop."

"No I don't," she began to suckle him in earnest, her hands joined the act and as he tightened she drew her nails up his thighs toward his balls and he fucking fell apart. He came violently, his whole body shaking. This couldn't be normal. You can't come so hard that you're weak as a baby after when all you got was a blow job!

Letty moved up his body and didn't stop until her face was pressed into his neck, responding to his unspoken response, "you're pretty good yourself Toretto."

He grinned but before he could reply his door opened. He looked up and groaned. Vince stood with his hand out, he had obviously been the one to open the door. Leon and Jesse stood surprised. Leon handed Vince a twenty dollar bill, obviously Leon had lost the bet.

"If you don't shut the fucking door I will stomp on each of your nut sacks before the night is done," Letty's threat was real enough and they knew it. Vince closed the door but not before saying, "this is going to be an interesting breakfast."

Letty rose and grabbed her clothes. As she pulled them on she frowned at him, "we should probably stop now. It's obviously affecting the guys badly."

Dom sat up, "what do they have to do with this?"

"They're on our team," Letty reminded him in a tone of voice that you would use on a small child.

"Yeah, I know. What I don't know is why their opinions matter? I don't voice my opinion on anyone they get involved with," Dom told her.

Letty rolled her eyes, "we're both part of the team too! They get to have their say about something that they think is going to destroy what we have going on. We'll just have to tell them that it's over. You know? We had fun these last couple of days but it has to be back normal now. We gotta get back to normal."

Dom watched her leave his room and rolled his shoulders. He wanted to hit the wall just to watch his fist go through it. He wanted to pick another fight with Vince just to hurt someone. But he didn't because he'd learned self control. So he got dressed in sweats and a wife beater before going down to the chopping block.

XOXO

"What were they doing," Mia asked the guys one more time.

Leon grinned, "she was all on his chest, her face all in the neck, the private parts all in conjunction with one another. Even had the boobs flattened on his chest. If that's not fucking then I don't know what is."

It wasn't planned but Dom and Letty ended up coming down the stairs at the same time. Dom took the plate Mia offered him and kissed her cheek, "thanks."

"Any time," Mia replied. Letty took her plate with a 'thank you'. Mia's response to her old friend was, "everyone needs a good power breakfast after a long night."

"You are so going to get it later," Letty swore to her old friend. Mia stuck her tongue out in response.

When Dom and Letty were both seated and Mia was sitting on the island Vince started in, "you two lied to our faces!"

"To be fair, at the time it was innocent," Letty told Vince.

"To be fair, I got to watch the clipped version of you two fucking last night and then again this morning. How many time do we have to fight Dom, before you realize you're fucking around with all of our lives?"

Dom put his fork down, "what I do in my bedroom and in my house is no one's concern but my own."

"It is when what you're doing is Letty," Vince's voice was getting louder and he was obviously getting agitated.

_Ouch_, Mia thought to herself. Unnecessary low blow by Vince but he was obviously traumatically shocked by this turn of events.

"Neither of you have even had steady relationships, not even steady sexual relationships. When this ends where will that leave everyone," Leon asked.

"Yeah, I mean, come on guys. In a group this tight this type of crap affects us all," Jesse told them.

Letty eyes widened only slightly. She felt so selfish at that moment that she couldn't even stand it. They had only been fucking around for a couple of weeks and she was all ready starting to act way too much like he belonged to her. The guys were right, how fucked would the whole group have been if she had legitimately fallen for Dom Toretto? Because he would get over her, he got over every girl. And she would be broken.

"Well you don't have to worry about this anymore," Letty rose and covered her barely touched food with her napkin. She looked at all the guys, "Dom and I talked this morning. We agreed that this has to stop. So no harm, no foul, it was just a few fucked up weeks. Everything will go back to normal," she promised.

Everyone watched her leave the house. Mia wanted to go after her, to tell her to fuck the team and do whatever made her feel alive. Dom shook his head no when Mia went to rise. He wasn't sure anyone else had noticed but she had looked desperate. She clung to the idea of normal like it was her life line and maybe it was.

"Thank God," Leon finally smiled and then slapped Dom's arm, "what was it like though?"

"None of your business," Dom rose and took the stairs two at a time to get away from them.


	7. Challenge

**Str8bkchick and Mrz Letty Ortiz-Toretto: thank you for being candid and once again I apologize.**

One month of normal had never been so testy and confrontational before. Letty had become a professional at keeping herself scarce or in a group. She was never in a situation where she and Dom could fall into that pot hole again. She had also never felt so fucking lonely. Her bed was cold. Letty wasn't a stupid woman, she knew that she could have men, but she just didn't have it in her to give a damn about anyone else. So to combat her need for him she was a flaming bitch to pretty much everyone. No one and nothing was safe from her sharp tongue and iron fists.

Dom was in a similar train of thought. He wasn't going to be the one to pull her out of her comfort zone if she needed it so bad. He could only be grateful that they had never actually had sex because he was certain he would be useless for anyone else after that. But he still missed the small things that had begun to happen: waking up with someone next to you, looking at a gorgeous woman wearing your shirt, waking up to pleasure, going to bed just to wake up. So to get over her he ignored her. Consciously he made the decision not to look at her because if he did he would kiss her. He made the decision not to work on the same car with her because if he did he would have one of those lush nipples up to suckle. He was afraid that there might not be any going back from Letty.

"Can we break for lunch," Jesse was whining desperately. They'd been working on four cars all week and all of them needed to be done by Friday morning.

"Yeah, bring back some sandwiches for the rest of us," Dom replied.

"I'll go with you," Leon was all ready out the door with him before Dom could stop him.

Vince, Letty and Dom all worked on their own individual cars. The phone rang and each of them waited for one of the others to answers it.

"Let-" Vince began but she cut him off with out so much as looking up at him but a tense, "fuck off."

"Damn women," Vince muttered as he walked into the small office to answer the phone.

Dom wasn't going to look at her because he knew that he'd just want more if he did. But in the end he said fuck it and looked over to her. She was putting her muscle into something. She was sweating, the little curls at the nap of her neck were wet, and her dark green tang top looked in much the same condition. She was wearing the garage over alls which were man sized definitely not Letty sized. He could see a peek of pink silk and just that quick he was going over again. He pushed his attention firmly to his car and refused to look up. He wasn't going to ruin anything for her, she meant too much.

Just as Dom looked down Letty lost her war to keep from looking at him. He was shirtless in the hundred degree weather. His work jeans were oil slicked and dirty. His muscles were huge as he shifted out different parts. There just wasn't one part of him that was soft. It was like his cock grew solely to fill out everything huge about the man. She had never been so torn about being with a man. If they had fucked she thought she could have still been satisfied weeks later. But they hadn't, she'd made that decision, and then she'd made the decision to end it. But damn she had never wanted anything as badly as she wanted this man. Finally she turned her attention back to her car, refusing to punish herself with what she couldn't have.

From the office Vince watched them and saw their struggles. This was unexpected. None of the guys had thought to wonder if what was going on was real. Vince wasn't a genius but this shit was starting to look seriously real.

XOXO

Letty and Mia stood outside hosing off the cars on what was a truly perfect Saturday afternoon. The races tonight would more special than usual. It was the last race until next weekend's extravaganza: race wars. The one day California allotted for street racing to occur. Of course, it was with the intention for no monetary prize, but it didn't stop bets from being taken and money passing hands.

"You excited for next weekend," Mia asked.

Letty arched an eyebrow at the question. She wasn't in the mood for casual talk, "whatever."

Silence stretched on as they moved onto Dom's car. Dom's Skyline was a lot like the man. Heavy duty, fast, bulky where it counted. She sighed as she rubbed in the car soap. She would love to get the man into a shower and to soap him clean before getting him all dirty again.

"For the record, you had my blessing," Mia's soft spoken words penetrated the fog in Letty's mind.

Letty turned to her best friend, studied her face. They had never been able to lie to one another. Finally Letty nodded, "it couldn't have worked."

"Why?"

"Me and Dom? Seriously? Imagine how volatile that relationship would be! He would be too cocky, too selfish, and way too addicting. I would be too arrogant, too harsh, and in the end too weak. I'd walk into hell with that man with a big shit eating grin on my face," Letty admitted. She couldn't look at Mia, his sister, her best friend, while she admitted the truth.

"Isn't that love," Mia asked.

Letty snorted and tossed the sponge down, "no. It isn't love and it isn't healthy, for us or the team."

"Isn't love taking each other's flaws and sticking together no matter what? He might end up being too selfish and blind, and you might end up being mean and weak, but if you got through everything that this fucked up world could throw at you wouldn't that mean you had lived your life with the only person you ever wanted to?"

"The team-"

"Fuck," Mia said low, "the team. Everyone is a grown up here Letty. If you don't try with him then you'll be worse then weak, you'll be a coward. No two ways about it. It will be because you're afraid. I didn't think you were afraid of anything."

"I'm afraid of failing," she admitted quietly. She sat on a dry patch of the grass and waited for Mia to join her, "if we do this and it all goes to hell in a hand basket, we'll never recover. We'll never be friends again. We'll never talk shop or go to the races or take the first drive of a new renovated car together again. What did we lose never trying? Nothing, we'll go on and still be in each other's lives. If we fuck up then we lose. That simple, man, we lose."

"Risk it," Mia implored.

Letty looked at her friend, "why does it matter so much to you?"

"Because he's my brother and you're my best friend. I don't want anything as much as I want you two to be happy," Mia replied after careful thought.

"What are you two doing," Leon stepped up to them, three beers carefully balanced. He looked at the two of them and sighed, "big talk?"

"Nah," Letty denied and grabbed a bottle, "just cleaning some cars."

"Yeah," Leon agreed, politely ignoring the hose that was running water down the drive as the girls sat. He studied Letty hard until she finally looked up through her fringe. He nodded again, seeing something in her eyes, and repeated, "yeah girl, big talk."

XOXO

Letty was trying to kill him, Dom thought as he kept an eye on her in the massive group at the meet up spot. She was wearing leather pants that seemed painted on, a beige tang top that showed so much cleavage he wasn't sure there wasn't nipple peeking through, and a pair of heeled boots that she walked in like a professional. What he wouldn't do to pull those clothes off of her. What he wouldn't do to pull her hair out of that side pun and pull his fingers through it while he pinned her, fucking her every which way.

"Fuck me," he muttered to himself. He wanted to race now. He wanted anything that could make some of this excess sexual energy disappear. If she didn't want him then he would have to fuck some race whore tonight. He'd been hard for days.

"Gladly," a race whore who had heard him pulled up close to him.

He appreciated her features but unconsciously begun to compare her to Letty. She was an epic fail. Where Letty was muscular with soft curves right where she needed them, this woman was wiry thin with an impressive rack ala silicone. But fuck it! She didn't want him right!

"What's your name," he asked.

"Lauren," she replied.

Dom looked back over to Letty, saw that she was watching them. He put one arm around the blond and grinned at her, "Lauren, I'm Dom Toretto. Ever heard of me?"

She watched them and couldn't help but clench her first. _I will not kill her. I will not kill him. I will not bury her dead body on the outskirts of exit 15. I will not knock his balls up to his Adam's apple._ Letty chanted to herself to keep calm but as she watched the blonde's hand creep to the zipper of his navy blue jeans she felt a snap deep inside of herself. High heels and all she stomped over. She was so going to fuck that bitch up.

Mia watched Letty's abrupt departure and grinned at Jesse, "this is going to be interesting."

Dom hadn't seen her coming, in fact he had lost sight of her completely when a tanned fist shot out and nipped Lauren right in the jaw. The crowd erupted with shouts. Dom staggered back, surprised by the blow. Lauren slid down his frame and to the street in seconds.

"What the fuck," Dom asked as he faced the attacker. Before Letty could jump on the girl Dom lifted her and had literally carried her a couple of feet. He dropped her beside Vince, "what the hell was that Letty?"

"I thought you'd recognize a KO when you saw it," she was grinding her teeth, displeasure apparent in everything she said and did.

"Why," one rough question that had a thread of…hope?

She looked around, knew people were listening, "because."

"Because why," Dom pushed.

Vince looked down at her, "why'd you deck her Let?"

"Because I fucking felt like it," she turned on her heel and headed back to her car where Leon was still laughing.

Dom looked at Vince and couldn't help it, he laughed. Vince shook his head, "you're both fucking crazy."

Before the races could begin four blank Honda civics pulled in behind the team's set. Everyone stopped to see who had challenged, unknowingly or not, Toretto's team. Dom walked forward. He almost snorted when J. King opened the door of the first car and stood. Three more men of the trust fund looking variety stepped from the other cars.

"Yo, what are you doing here man," Hector asked.

J. King grinned toward Letty, "revenge."

Dom curled his fists, "if you've got something to say to one of my team, you can say it to me."

"This the cocksucker who pressed you," one of his friends asked.

J. King nodded, "yeah. No doubt you thought you'd seen the last of me. Wrong. But then again what should I expect from someone with your lack of foresight."

"What do you want," Vince asked. The team had slowly come together to stand as one behind Dom.

"Next weekend, race wars, 15 G's. I bet you can't beat me Toretto," he taunted.

Dom cocked his head, "why?"

"As if you don't need the money. Because I'm saying here and now that if you ever race me I'll beat your sorry has-been ass into the ground. Anyone can beat someone up with enough force, not everyone has what it takes when they get behind the wheel."

"He's got something up his sleeve," Mia murmured.

Dom jerked his head to acknowledge her words. He didn't trust this pussy motherfucker as far as he could throw him but he'd been called out. He had to take the bet. And damn it but he'd been right, they could use the money.

"Next weekend, race wars, 15 G's, winner take all, race number 350," Dom replied.

J. King popped his hood with the click of a button and grinned, "see you then loser."

Even from a distance Dom could see his bronze crafted camshafts, K&N air filters and 200hp NOS kits. Everyone moved around to study the parts. It was rich boy playing street racer heaven.

"Are we fucked Dom," Jesse asked, his hands itching to touch the air filters.

Dom looked at Letty, and even she had the good grace to look concerned. He didn't reply he just stood, taking the scrutiny, and staying strong. Nothing in his life was gray. This situation was black and white. Losing was not an option.

"Naw, Jess, we're good."


	8. Revelry

"Are you crazy," Letty stormed into Dom's room as he was pulling on briefs after his shower. He hadn't discussed his decision with any of the team and he had vetoed any chance of a party at the house so he wouldn't have to discuss it with strangers.

Everyone had taken the hint except the fiery black haired Latina standing in his bedroom shooting daggers at him with her exceptionally emotional eyes. He smirked, he couldn't help himself, "you know that my instant reaction to your temper is a hard on?"

Letty's eyes widened, "are you serious? You just put up 15 G's and you're discussing my temper and your erection?"

"I can't think of anything more important at the moment," he replied as he dropped the towel.

"I can," she took a step back, it was a mistake. Like a predator scented his prey he moved with her.

"The decision is all ready made. I won't go back on it and lose all of my credibility. I won't lose."

She could tell he meant it. Dom Toretto couldn't lose when he got behind the wheel, it was a common assumption. But he had lost before, no champion ever won every fight.

"If you we lose 15,000 dollars we'll have to close the garage again," Letty knew it was harsh but it had to be said.

He winced for a moment. He knew she was telling the truth. The loss of that much needed cash to cushion the team would be the straw that broke the camel's back. Dom couldn't lose, not because he was perfect, but because he was the man. The man provided and protected his family. His team depended on him and he would not let them down again.

"I know."

Letty continued to look at him. Three feet separating them and they were closer to one another then they had allowed themselves to be in one long month. If she took a deep breath she would be able to breathe him in again. She knew the scent would haunt her forever.

"Why'd you snuff the race whore," Dom murmured the question, his all ready low voice getting even lower.

She didn't say anything for a long time. Finally with a dramatic huff she picked up a shoe and threw it across the room, Dom didn't flinch. She found something else and threw that too. There was an array of clothes and small hand held items that followed in her projectile wake. Her intention was never to hit him but just to release any of the energy that had been building up in her.

"I thought I'd be able to walk. It's too late," finally Letty stopped, bowed her head but glanced up through her fringe, "I wanted to be strong for them and do the right thing. Fuck, it's too late."

"I came to you last time Letty and you walked, this time you have to make the decision. This time you gotta take the step," Dom told her. He wouldn't be any easier on her then she would have been on him. They couldn't keep going back and forth. He couldn't keep going back and forth.

She looked up at him and in the back of her mind she heard the door open, she consciously dismissed it. There was no going back after Dom Toretto. If she dug any deeper she'd admit that she'd never had a chance. Letty had known from the jump that he would be her vulnerability.

"What's going on," she vaguely heard Vince's voice.

"Leave them," Mia was imploring.

"Dom," Leon this time.

"Letty, put me out of my fucking misery," his voice was torn, angry, and sad all at once.

"I choose you," such simple words were never before uttered. There was complete silence as Mia finally got the door shut.

"Finally," Dom wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to him gruffly, before kissing her like he had desperately wanted to for a month. As always she just felt right.

Letty came up for breath, cupped his face, shock was written on her face. She had been created for this moment. She had been created to stand tall beside this man, to love this man.

Dom took the opportunity to take a deep breath and really look at her. He felt just as shocked as she felt. The only thing that had ever felt so easy and so scary at the same time was shifting into the fourth gear and pushing the NOS button. You would barely be in control, you could burn a clutch and go into a spin, but the rush…fuck the rush was worth it.

Every other sexual encounter they'd shared had been rushed, not nearly as gratifying as Dom wanted this night to be. He peeled down the zipper at the back of her shirt and pulled the sleeves down. Letty helped him removed her leather pants and then she was in yet another stunning bra and panty set, dark blue, almost midnight black.

"Take your hair out," he ordered. She pulled one pin out of her nape and all of her glorious hair tumbled down her back. He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again but this time he used both hands to lift her by her perky behind.

Letty looked down at him as he held her up easily like she was a rag doll. She blinked because she felt exhausted with emotion. She didn't think that she would be able to say anything without her voice breaking and she didn't want that.

"I'm going to lay you down and understand that from now on this is our bed," Dom didn't wait for a response. He laid her down, gently lowered his weight between her legs, he braced himself on his arms because he didn't want to crush her, and kissed her again. He looked down at her, her hair in a cascade on his pillows, her face betraying the feelings she couldn't say, and her beautiful body beneath his. His thought was simple, he was a man who had been made to be with this woman.

"I won't be able to fuck around this first time," he told her, admitted his need in the short sentence.

"Who asked you to wait," she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him like she'd never see him again. She didn't stop kissing him when she felt her panties rip and she didn't stop when he urgently pulled on a condom. She didn't stop until he broke through all of her barriers.

He stopped abruptly, looking down at her in shock, "are you serious?"

Her body clenched, the pain instantly became fulfillment, and she erupted into flames. Dom groaned over her as her body clenched around him in a tight vise. He wanted to stop, to question how the hell she had learned to suck cock and managed to remain a virgin, but couldn't. She was taking him, her hips moving with him, her legs wrapping around his trim hips, her finger nails running down his arm, and her pussy, fuck, she felt like nothing he had ever experienced before.

"Letty," he grunted her name, needed to know she was with him.

Like she could read his mind she moaned, "I'm with you baby."

His balls tightened and his cock swelled before he let go and went over the cliff, Letty beside him the whole way. The way they were meant to be.

Down stairs Mia looked around at the guys sitting confused and dejected at the table, and smiled, "I think it's about time everyone made their peace with this because I think all the big decisions have been set in stone tonight."

XOXO

Letty sat down at the kitchen table and smiled up at Mia when she handed her a plate, "morning."

"A very good morning," Mia replied with a huge grin on her face.

"Just how good of a morning is it," Vince asked, sitting forward at the table.

"Better then your mornings after race nights," Letty snapped back.

Jesse laughed at Vince, smacked his shoulder as he did so, "I think you just got served coyote!"

Mia couldn't stop smiling as she sat down and sipped her juice. Letty rolled her eyes before answering her best friend's unspoken question, "later, okay?"

"That will do," Mia replied.

"I want to know," Leon added.

Suddenly there was large crash, a string of curses, and a lot of muttering as Dom came barreling down the steps. He didn't so much as stop to spare a glance at anyone in the team or his sister. He went to Letty, put one arm around her waist, pulled her up and kissed her the way he had been planning to when he woke up. Finally he released her to slide back into her chair, "you weren't in bed when I woke up."

"I know," she finally replied, "I was hungry!"

"Next time bring it back to bed," he replied. Dom glanced around the table then before sitting heavily in his chair. He knew words would have to be said before everyone would accept this change.

Vince waited until Dom sat before starting in, "so I guess you two are going to be together now."

"Yeah," a simple answer to a question that was really a statement of fact.

Vince looked at Letty and then back to Dom. He was serious when he said, "you hurt her and old friendship or not, I will kick your ass. Do right by her or don't do it at all."

Letty was taken back by Vince's words. He had sounded the way Dom sounded when he grilled Mia's dates. She almost wanted to hug him but held back, anticipating that the conversation would have to be personal.

Dom nodded his head curtly, looking Vince in the eye so he knew he wasn't bullshitting when he said, "I will."

"So," Leon finally broke the silence, "what are we planning on doing with her old room?"

Mia giggled, she couldn't help it! It was just too funny that everything was working out perfectly. Letty tried to hold it in but when Mia got going it was contagious. Vince and Dom tried to hold onto their serious expressions but soon they were joining in. Leon and Jesse followed until the house was echoing with sounds of their laughter.

XOXO

Despite the good beginning to the week everyone remained aware that on Saturday Dom would be placing all of their asses on the line during one ¼ mile race. That fact cast a somber mood over the entire team. It wasn't a lack of faith in Dom as much as it was a certainty that they didn't trust J. King. Dom was not adverse to fighting dirty but even he wanted to keep driving as pure as possible. As the days wore on he began to think that it wasn't just purity he was trying to protect, it was his father's principles. He had the hard realization that his father wasn't here anymore. It was up to him, it was on his shoulders, to carry his team through. And come hell or high water he would win.

"BBQ at the house," Mia asked as she neatly sorted the receipts of the day.

Dom wiped his sweaty face with his rag, "yeah, that'd be nice."

"You know," Mia looked around, making sure the team was all wrapped up in different cars or endeavors before continuing, "if it all goes to hell we'll find another way to keep the garage going. We're all survivors here."

"You more than most," Dom replied. He didn't need to recount how much they had lost as a family. He didn't need to say how proud of her he was because she knew the first bills they paid every month before electric, hot water and the mortgage were her school bills.

She nodded, affirming her understanding, "you're stubborn as all hell Dom, but I think you're finally starting to see the good in every day life."

"You're talking about Letty," he stated.

"Yeah, and the garage, and everything else. Life isn't fair and it never will be but I feel better because I know you're my big brother," she smirked.

"Get over here," he ordered, when she complied, he hugged her close. As far as baby sisters went he had gotten lucky.

XOXO

"Race wars baby," Leon chanted to the team over and over as they packed up their cars. They would drive down two trailers and four cars, along with a shit ton of beer, tequila and food. Everyone showed up Friday night for the fun of getting to see everyone's wheels and partying. Saturday races would begin at 11 and last until 5, at 5:01 the party would start again.

"Cars, tits, and beer," Vince muttered although his voice held contentment. He got more tail at Race Wars then he did in a whole month.

Mia was putting in the last packages of hotdogs into the cooler outside of the kitchen. She scowled at Vince, "you guys are more hormonal than teenagers. Does everything have to be about the amount of beers and girls you can get?"

Leon and Vince stopped, shared a look and then grinned before saying, "yeah."

"What's taking Dom so long," Jesse was anxious to get on the road and get to the veritable feast of car parts and custom vehicles.

"That," Vince rose and pointed toward the garage.

Dom stood in front of the garage staring at his father's Chevelle. If any car could destroy J. King's custom car it would be this car. Still, he was intimidated by the car and what it represented.

"You'll win no matter what car you're driving," Letty's voice came as he felt her step to his side.

He pulled her to him with one arm until her warmth sunk into his side. He couldn't trust himself to speak without something stupid coming out so he just held her.

"Nothing will break this, nothing will break us."

"The team," he asked.

She shook her head no and smirked, "the team is family, no matter what even if we're all apart we'll always be family. I was talking about us, you and me. I'll walk down any path with you, even the hard ones. You're stuck with me now."

That trust, those honest words sunk into him, filling him with some emotion he couldn't name. He nodded and then stepped forward to close the garage. The Chevelle wouldn't be for this battle.

"Hey Dom, you ready," Vince called out.

He turned and took Letty's hand in his, "yeah, I'm ready."


	9. Love Is Evol

If you could imagine the regular weekend race scene and amplify it by 10 or 20 that would equal Race Wars. The team set up camp in the middle of it all, their cars a border around their small fort. Hector had set his team up very near by and the guys had gone off to talk business.

Mia sat down after finally cleaning up after their dinner. She grabbed the beer bottle Letty had opened for her and grinned, "everything is going to work out perfectly."

"Eternal optimist," Letty replied sipping her own beer.

"Doesn't love make you feel optimistic," Mia asked.

Letty didn't reply. Love. Four letters had never formed a scarier word. Love meant a lot of different things to different people. To Letty it was pain. When you loved you inevitably lost, and sometimes what you lost was irreparable and irreplaceable. Sometimes what you lost took a piece of you and never returned it. She wasn't sure what Dom would take from her if she dared to love him but she did know that she wouldn't ever be okay again if she lost him.

Before she could reply to Mia's casual question they both turned toward the sound of approaching foot steps. Both women were surprised to see J. King with his posse. They didn't look around, which told the girls that they had been watching them for a while and knew the guys were down with Hector. J. King stopped directly in front of them. Mia rose beside Letty, gently murmuring, "does he have a death wish?"

"Obviously," she replied just as quietly before stepping forward. She tossed her hair back and gave her best 'please, fuck with me, cuz I'll stomp on your nuts' look. The four men looked like they had been working out for their Race Wars debut. Letty took a lazy sip of her beer, "looking for trouble?"

He snorted while smoothing his slicked back blonde hair, "if you're trouble then I guess I am looking for you."

"And what in the world could she possibly do for you," Mia asked, hand on hip and head shaking like the fiery Italian and Dominican she was.

"Well that's the thing," he grinned and his group of rich boy miscreants surrounded them, "I think the two of you could make a victory against your brother imminent."

"He so doesn't know," Mia told Letty.

"No idea," Letty agreed, rolling her shoulders, preparing for a battle.

"What's that," he asked as they crept closer.

Letty grinned, "just who the hell the two of us are."

Mia cracked her beer bottle on her chair and spun before filling the space between her and J. King and slicing his right cheek. The other guys ran onto them quickly. Letty cracked one guy square in the jaw, dropping him. She spun in time to avoid another guy's out stretched arms and kicked him swiftly in the groin. J. King cursed profusely while grabbing Mia and pulling him to his chest, his other arm locked around her neck.

"Stop, Letty, or I swear to God I snap her neck like a twig," he warned.

Letty stared at him, watched his blood drip down his face and onto Mia's shoulder, "let her go and I won't fuck all of your shit up."

"I've got the upper hand," he reminded her, "or should I say I've got your sister-in-law."

At Letty's widened gaze he grinned, "you think I wouldn't find out that you and Toretto are together? Its common gossip now that the king of the streets has crowned his queen."

"Just how do you think this is going to pan out," Letty asked as one of the guys recovered enough to yoke her up against him, "once Dom knows that you put your hands on me again, and then touched his sister, he will kill you. And that's only if Vince doesn't get you first."

"Enough talk," he motioned to his friends, realizing that he was allowing himself to maneuvered. He definitely couldn't afford to allow Letty to maneuver him. He motioned to his friends, "let's get them out of here."

He turned and collided with Leon's fist. He had come back to get another burger and had hidden behind the trailer when he had realized what was going on. He had texted the others before sneaking up behind J. King. Mia was released and dropped to the ground, the lack of oxygen making her weak. Letty swung her head back and cracked the jaw of the man holding her. She heard him groan and when his arms weakened she turned and cracked his nose open.

"Mia," Dom's question was clear enough in the concerned way he called to her. He finally entered their small space and took in the scene, Vince at his side. J. King and his friends quickly ran away, their plan a disaster. Dom paused, letting Jesse and Vince bend down to help assess his sister, and looked at Letty, "what happened?"

"J. King tried to take me and Mia, probably as incentive for you to lose tomorrow. We handled business," Letty replied.

"This," he waved his hand toward the ground at the blood, spilled beer, and his slowly rising sister, "is handling business?"

She sensed his hostility and his anger, but like always it triggered a similar response in her. His condescending tone of voice after she had just been in an altercation was not something she could appreciate at the moment. In fact, she felt her blood pressure rise a bit more, "considering we would probably laying in one of their trunks beat up or unconscious, or worse sitting on one of their dicks, yeah I consider this handling business."

"Watch your mouth Letty," Dom warned.

Mia palmed her sore throat, "why are you mad at Letty? We defended ourselves they way Daddy taught us to!"

Dom had no response to that and they all knew it. He eyed the scene for a moment longer before kicking one of the chairs so hard it flew against the trailer. Letty didn't so much as wince. He paced furiously, his gaze swinging back and forth between her and Mia.

"Why don't you give us a sec," she suggested to the others.

Vince shook his head, temper in his eyes, "I get why he's mad but I'm not leaving you alone with him right now."

"Are you serious right now," Dom's furious gaze swung to Vince incredulously.

Vince sized up his best friend, "as a heart attack. There are a lot of emotions running around right now and I'd hate for this new connection you got with Letty to end up with me knocking you out because you got pissed and couldn't control yourself."

Dom pointed at his best friend, head down, trying to collect himself and hold on to his control, "you don't know what you're talking about man."

"You're my brother Dom, but I don't trust this new situation," Vince admitted. The words that had needed to be spoken since the night Letty had chosen Dom were finally said.

Letty sighed, gesturing for Jesse and Leon to bring Mia inside the trailer. She stepped in between the men and looked back and forth between the two, "Dom can I talk with Vince alone?"

"This shit is ridiculous," Dom muttered angrily as he walked into the trailer.

Letty opened the cooler and grabbed two beers, easily opening them with her hand. She righted the chairs and sat, waiting for Vince to join her. When he finally sat beside her and grabbed the offered beer she took a sip of her own. They sat quietly for a time, letting each other figure out their thoughts.

"It was a long time coming," she finally said.

Vince turned to stare at her as she kept her eyes trained on the dirt. Neither of them were particularly good at throwing their emotions on the table.

"Yeah," he agreed. In hindsight there had been a million signs over the decade and a half of their friendship that had indicated that Dom and Letty would be together.

"He's a good guy, and a good friend to you. You both fuck up, in fact, very often. You both need to trust each other more. You both are better men then you know," she continued.

"Yeah," he couldn't seem to make the words in his head and heart make sense. All that he knew was that the last time Letty's mother's boyfriend had bruised her he had given him his just reward. All he knew was that when Dom was in prison Letty was the only one he felt he could trust 100%. All he knew was that he had never had a baby sister until the day he had met the woman sitting across from him.

"I love him," she choked on the words.

Vince sighed and drained his beer, "yeah."

"Fuck," she dropped her now empty beer bottle and palmed her head in her hands.

He rose and pulled her into his arms, holding her to him as if he could protect her from all the bullshit.

"What's going on," Dom's voice penetrated their moment. Vince looked up as he held Letty, neither of them had moved. He simply nodded and after a quick peck on her hair he settled her on her own two feet, looked in her eyes, and nodded. A small acquiescence because he knew she needed it.

Dom watched his best friend walk into the trailer and waited for Letty to turn. She didn't for a long time. When she did he could tell instantly that she was guarded. She was waiting for his next action, ready for it to be bad, hoping it would be good.

"I was…" he began to say but she placed her fingers over his lip, quieting him from what he was about to admit.

"I know. Shit happens man."

That was all it took, a knowing look and one sentence or less. His heart felt lighter and the unknown weight that had been on his shoulders had lifted. He pulled his hand through her hair, forcing her to look up at him as he kissed her.

He brushed her bottom lip, entranced with it and the way it tasted, "you're my girl."

Letty grinned, sliding her body closer to his, "I know. But more importantly, you're my man. I've claimed you."

"You have," he teased, a grin tugged at his lips before he turned thoughtful once more. Letty could have sworn that she felt the growl in his chest before he pulled her hips closer to him, "I should kill J. King on principle. Twice now he's been stupid enough to touch you. And now he's extending his crazy practices to my baby sister. I'm not having it."

"The race," she reminded him as she gently caressed the muscles of his chest, "you win behind the wheel, the way you always do. Then, if he's still pressing you…you gotta do what you gotta do."

The race scene was like a cult in some ways. Corporeal punishment was real in their community. You did what you had to do to protect what was yours. No one would fault, or narc on, Dom if he took his pound of flesh. But that was tomorrow. Dom knew that to make a move tonight before his race would make everyone believe he struck because he was afraid he'd lose the race. He'd worked hard to build his reputation and wouldn't have it ruined because of one little rich boy bum fuck. No, tomorrow he would get into his car and smoke his competition. Tonight though, tonight would be for him and the fiery Latina at his side and their team.

"Are we allowed to come out now," Mia's taunting sarcasm came from the window.

"Yeah, troublemaker," Dom replied, "and bring some Coronas with you."


End file.
